Tree root damage can lead to cascading property issues that put your foundation in jeopardy and lead to high foundation repair costs. Trees are common landscaping features that send their roots deep underground to take in water and nutrients. This makes them an effective part of any water management plan, but left to grow wild, those same roots can take a devastating toll on your property, pipes, or foundation. That’s why it’s so important to learn how to spot the warning signs of tree root damage, lower your risk, and understand when a foundation professional is needed to protect your property.
The Root of the Problem
Tree roots usually aren’t the problem–rather it’s tree root growth that causes all the issues. Trees are an important part of creating a beautiful yard, and they can play a role in stabilizing the soil and protecting your home from the ravages of inclement weather. They need their roots to grow strong and tall. Unfortunately, those roots don’t always grow where you need them to. As roots grow, they work their way through soil and other porous materials, like clay pipes or cement foundations, shifting, disrupting, and penetrating in search of moisture and nutrients.
Types of Tree Root Damage
In general, tree root damage can be divided into five types. Each one presents a different threat to your property, making it important to identify the type of damage risk you’re facing for proper mitigation.
- Pressure
Roots growing along the edge of a foundation can put pressure on your walls as they thicken over the years. This places the growing root between the concrete and mortar of your foundation walls and tons of soil and substrate. When something has to give, it will be your foundation, as often as not. This tree root damage shows up as cracking, bowing, and buckling that can need immediate foundation repair.
- Penetration
Tree roots can also begin to grow into your foundation walls themselves. They can infiltrate through joints, or tiny feelers can find their way into the porous outer surface of the walls. Once embedded, they begin to grow, introducing moisture as they crack your foundation open from the inside out.
- Uplift and Heave
When roots grow under the floors or walls of your foundation, they can lift them as the roots grow. This can lead to tree root damage in the form of cracking and buckling floors and walls, or they can even cause the walls to pull away from each other. This lifting can travel up into the rest of the home, misaligning windows and doors, creating uneven floors, and putting your whole home at risk.
- Drainage
Tree roots don’t even have to touch your home to damage it. Tree root growth, death, and removal can all cause the soil to shift, displacing material and disrupting natural drainage. This can leave your walls unsupported next to a cavity in the soil or lead to a build-up of hydrostatic pressure as runoff and groundwater become trapped near your foundation’s walls.
- Secondary Sources
Finally, tree root damage can occur through disrupting the pipes, lines, and other structures leading to and from your home. Sewer lines blocked by roots backup into the home, while broken water and sewer lines flood your yard, leading to landscaping damage and possible water damage as it seeps through your walls. Even solid utilities, like gas and electrical structures, can be damaged by tree roots, creating a fire hazard that needs immediate emergency attention.
Warning Signs of Tree Root Damage
If you noticed some trends in the types of tree root damage, then you’ve likely already spotted some common signs to watch out for. Cracks in walls and floors can be a prime indicator, as can bowing, leaning, or lifting anywhere in your foundation’s structure. Increased seepage or leakage along a side of the foundation that’s close to where a tree would be outside your home may indicate root penetration. You should also be aware of slow-running drains or yard flooding along the path of pipes and sewer lines, even if it’s away from the home.
While these can all be great indicators of tree root damage, they can also indicate a host of other issues foundations can face. A foundation repair expert can help you verify the source of the damage before you spend money trying to mitigate or repair the wrong issues.
Mitigating the Risk of Tree Root Damage
If you want to reduce the risk of tree root damage to your foundation, there are a few steps you can take, and it all starts when you begin planning your landscaping.
- Plant trees no closer than 20 feet to your foundation.
- Choose trees that send roots down instead of out to the side.
- Install a tree root barrier around your foundation.
- Improve drainage around your home to point water and the roots that follow it away from your foundation walls.
- Talk to your foundation repair specialist at the first sign of trouble.
Professional Foundation Protection and Repair
We have the equipment and experience to repair tree root damage to your foundation and help ensure it doesn’t happen again. This can include everything from excavation with proper backfilling and grading to remove dangerous root structures and channel water away from the home to installing a comprehensive foundation waterproofing system and supporting your damaged foundation with wall anchors made from American steel. We’ve done it all to protect Pittsburgh-area homes, and the first step comes with no risk or obligation.
When you schedule a free foundation inspection, one of our experts will set a time to visit your property, inspect any existing damage, and evaluate the risks your home faces. Then, they’ll give you a tailored estimate for repair and protection that lays out your options in plain language. We’ll be with you every step of the way to help you make the best decision for your family’s future. Get your free tree root foundation damage repair quote from A.M. Wall Anchor & Waterproofing today.
